Born Feb 18, 1832 in Paris, France, he came to America at the age of six, eventually making his way to Peoria where he married Annie Riddell James and had seven children together. During his career as an engineer he designed and built several bridges including the first bridge over the Missouri river at Kansas City and the bridge over the Illinois river at Chillicothe as well as the Kansas City and Chicago Union Stockyards.
After retirement from the railroads he devoted his life to the study of aviation and published the influential book “Progress in Flying Machines” in 1894. The Wright brothers acknowledged Chanute’s key role as a mentor, saying that “his research and continual inspiration paved the way for our success.” Chanute corresponded with them for many years and even visited their camp at Kitty Hawk during their flight experiments which culminated in their historic flight of 1903.
Octave Chanute died in Chicago, Nov 10, 1910. Wilbur Wright delivered the Eulogy at his funeral. He is buried with his family in Springdale Cemetery.
While visiting the National Air & Space museum in Washington, I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice exhibit inside the hall featuring the Wright Brothers. Later, while taking a walk through Springdale, I noticed someone had searched out his stone and left a small compass attached with a piece of chewed gum.
If you are wondering where his stone is, note the savannah in the background. His is part of a large family plot.
“Augustus Moore Herring prepares to launch himself in Octave Chanute’s 1896 biplane glider. The lower wing is supported by an unidentified man, and the proceedings are observed by Octave Chanute’s dogs Rags and Tatters. Indiana Dunes, 1897.” – Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
“Let us hope that the advent of a successful flying machine, now only dimly foreseen and nevertheless thought to be possible, will bring nothing but good into the world; that it shall abridge distance, make all parts of the globe accessible, bring men into closer relation with each other, advance civilization, and hasten the promised era in which there shall be nothing but peace and goodwill among all men.” – Progress in Flying Machines, 1894